Monday, June 19, 2017

Chad Wienen Returns to the Center of the Box at Sunset Ridge ATVMX National

Courtesy of ATVMX

Chad Wienen Returns to the Center of the Box at Sunset Ridge ATVMX NationalJoel Hetrick and Jeffrey Rastrelli Round Out the Overall Podium

WALNUT, Ill. (June 18, 2017) - Hot and humid weather conditions greeted the racers of the Wiseco ATV Motocross National Championship (ATVMX) presented by CST Tires, an AMA National Championship, as they competed at round six, yesterday, June 17. Threatening rain showers held off, making for a great day of racing as fans witnessed Chad Wienen take his Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Racecraft/Yamaha/Maxxis/7240-backed machine to the middle of the podium.

Wienen kicked off the day earning the ATVriders.com Fastest Qualifier Award, but when the gate dropped for the first moto it was Maxxis/Elka/Liquid Wrench/Honda's Joel Hetrick out front with the early lead and the SSi Decals Holeshot Award. JB Racing/Root River Racing's Jeffrey Rastrelli capitalized on his good start and took the lead position from Hetrick by the completion of the opening lap.

Jeffrey Rastrelli demonstrated that he has what it takes to be a champion, by leading over half of the first moto.

- Ken Hill

Wienen got off to a not so favorable start, and quickly got to work where he rode behind Hetrick by only the third lap. Rastrelli, Hetrick and Wienen continued a tight race, where the trio were wheel-to-wheel. Hetrick made the push for the lead at the halfway point of the race, and Wienen got around Rastrelli shortly after. The frontrunners kept a close distance and a steady pace, with Hetrick taking the win just seven seconds ahead of Wienen and Rastrelli.

Josh Upperman grabbed his first SSi Decals Holeshot Award of the season in the second moto.

- Ken Hill

Root River Racing's Josh Upperman kicked off the second moto with the SSi Decals Holeshot award. Rastrelli found himself back up in the front, right behind Upperman. Hetrick and Wienen sat inside the top-five, but had to work their way up to the leaders on the first lap, by the second lap Hetrick was able to secure the lead position with Rastrelli in tow. Wienen applied the pressure to them for the first half of the race and took command of the lead with only five laps remaining.

The racing action at Sunset Ridge MX was tight all day long - creating some of the best racing fans have witnessed all season.

- Ken Hill

Hetrick wasn't willing to settle for second and focused on making the pass back, but ran out of time. Wienen took the second moto win, just one second ahead of Hetrick. Wienen also earned the overall win, while Hetrick took the runner-up position. After stalling his quad in the first moto, GennUSA Racing's Nick Gennusa rebounded for a 7-3 moto score to finish just off the overall podium in fourth. Rastrelli went 3-4 for fourth overall and Root River Racing/CST Tires/Pro Motorsports-backed Thomas Brown rounded out the top five with a 4-6 moto tally.

Joel Hetrick took the moto one win, but a second place in moto two earned him second overall.

- Ken Hill

ATVMX racing action returns to Millville, Minnesota on July 1 for the Spring Creek ATVMX National. A highlight show featuring this weekend's event will air on MAVTV on Saturday, August 12.

For more information on the 2017 Wiseco ATV Motocross National Championship, visit the official series website at www.atvmotocross.com. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #ATVMX.

Sunset Ridge MXWalnut, IllinoisRound 6 of 10Saturday, June 18

2017 AMA Pro Class Event Results:

Chad Wienen (2-1)

Joel Hetrick (1-2)

Jeffrey Rastrelli (3-4)

Nick Gennusa (7-3)

Thomas Brown (4-6)

Josh Upperman (5-7)

Ronnie Higgerson (8-5)

Westley Wolfe (6-8)

Parker Wewerka (11-9)

Sam Rowe (10-11)

Overall National Championship Standings:

Chad Wienen (255)

Joel Hetrick (248)

Jeffrey Rastrelli (202)

Thomas Brown (195)

Nick Gennusa (187)

Ronnie Higgerson (169)

Josh Upperman (157)

Parker Wewerka (143)

Westley Wolfe (120)

Brett Musick (104)

SSi Decals Holeshot Award Standings:

Joel Hetrick (10)

Cole Sepesi (2)

Josh Upperman (2)

Sam Rowe (2)

Chad Wienen (1)

ATVriders.com Top Qualifier Award Standings:

Joel Hetrick (3)

Chad Wienen (3)

About the Wiseco ATV Motocross National Championship:

The Wiseco ATV Motocross National Championship presented by CST Tires, an AMA National Championship, is the nation's premier amateur and professional ATV motocross series, hosted at top motocross facilities nationwide. The 10-round series features the Nation's best racers, teams and sponsors, and is America's largest and longest-running ATV national motocross program. Since 1985, the series continues to expand and produce top talent from the amateur ranks, while premiering the professional class. For more information, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association:

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join.

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